The fourth series of
Torchwood brought the cast and crew to a whole New World: North America. As
part of the production deal with STARZ, much of Torchwood Miracle Day would
take place in the United States, China, South America as well as the United
Kingdom, creating an international scope and scale to the production.
Much of the show was shot
in and around Los Angeles, in areas ranging from downtown LA, to Venice Beach
and the area of LA known as San Pedro. The second episode, Rendition, featured
only two Los Angeles locations, so we’re combining Rendition’s sites with those
of the third episode: Dead of Night.
Rendition follows our crew
as they are hunted down and caught by the nefarious American CIA, and features
one of the best Torchwood action sequences in the entire show as Gwen, Jack and
Rhys battle an attack helicopter from a Jeep.
Unfortunately, that takes
place in Cardiff, so no pics of that here. But what we miss in adventure we
pick up in intrigue as the Torchwood team is brought to the United States and
escapes to figure out how they’re going to fight the mysterious organization
behind the Miracle, as well as the American government, itself caught up in the
plot.
The following are the
LA-area locations used for Torchwood Miracle Day: Rendition, and Torchwood
Miracle Day: Dead of Night.
RENDITION LOCATIONS
City Hall
Used repeatedly in
Torchwood's series 4, Los Angeles City Hall provided the backdrop for numerous
“official” looking facilities. An iconic structure known worldwide for its
appearance in numerous TV shows and movies, Los Angeles City Hall was for years
the tallest structure in Los Angeles — you might recognize it from old episodes
of Dragnet and Superman. City Hall was used by the Torchwood Miracle Day:
Rendition and Dead of Night production company for scenes in which Jilly meets
and attempts to recruit Dr. Vera.
Directions
City Hall is located
downtown on Spring Street, between Temple and 1st. It is a block away from the
101 (Hollywood) Freeway.
While getting to City Hall
is relatively easy, finding parking is not. Particularly during the work week.
My suggestion is to visit the site on the weekends, but be aware of the rather
large and sometimes aggressive homeless population in the area, particularly in
the park south of City Hall.
433 South Spring
Spring Street again
features in our countdown. There are roughly four city blocks in which various
scenes from Torchwood were shot, ranging from the lobby of 419 Spring down to
650 S Spring, which was mentioned in the last entry as the site of the CIA headquarters
for The New World.
Searching for 433 S Spring
you cannot help but notice the presence of the Lunch Box Cafe. The lobby of
this building was used for the scene in which Jilly initially approaches Oswald
in Rendition. I’m not aware of any scenes using the Lunch Box itself.
As noted, Spring Street
has several locations used in Miracle Day. Finding parking can be difficult,
but what I found useful is jumping one block East to Main Street where street
parking is easier to find, and the lots are a bit cheaper. As before, note you
are in a major city and all due safety measures are recommended. None of the
locations on Spring, except the Alexandria Hotel, allow for public access.
DEAD OF NIGHT LOCATIONS
The Golden Gopher
Yes, you read that right.
The Golden Gopher. (Cue naughty laughter from John Barrowman.)
The Golden Gopher, despite
the name, is a classic Los Angeles night spot opening originally in 1905. It’s
a little difficult to find, though the truly adventurous souls might wait until
later hours when the club is open and you can (try to) secure a table to watch
the evening’s festivities. Be aware that the entertainment changes and may
require a cover charge, but it’s a fascinating and fun “joint” if you’re in the
right mood. You can find their schedule and basic history on their website:
Currently the Gopher is
surrounded by construction, and that makes it a little more difficult to find.
It’s located on the north side of 8th Street between Hill and Olive, directly
across the street from a major building renovation. On the day I visited the
entire block was marked off and traffic diverted to surrounding streets. If
you’re visiting after hours or during the city’s almost continuous rush hour,
you might consider a safe parking lot nearby. The LAPD are quick to ticket
illegally parked cars.
419 S Spring
The other half of the
entry above, 419 S Spring is the lobby used for the scene in which Jack is
forcibly ejected from the studio.
The Glen Capri Motel
When your name is Oswald
Danes and much of the United States population reviles you, it’s important you
find a nondescript place to hide. And not have to spend a lot of money.
Welcome to the Glen Capri
Motel, in Glendale, California. A few miles north of downtown Los Angeles, the
Glen Capri is almost indiscernible from hundreds of other Southern California
motels. With signs reflecting 1930s to 1950s architecture (Googlie or art
deco), the buildings themselves are pretty similar. The Glen Capri is no
different.
The Glen Capri can be
located just a few minutes off the 5 freeway as it passes from Glendale in
Burbank. Take the 5 north from downtown Los Angeles to Alameda Boulevard in the
San Fernando Valley. Turn right on Alameda and drive the two city blocks to San
Fernando Road, turning right. The Glen Capri is roughly a quarter mile down on
the right (eastern) side of the road.
As always, enjoy your tour
of the LA area and make sure to be as safe as possible. And if you see Captain
Jack, run.
Next Month: We return to
downtown and the ever-weird Venice Beach for episode 4, Torchwood Miracle Day:
Escape to LA!
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